


Pokemon: Giovanni's Conquest

by Eclipton



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-13
Updated: 2020-09-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:14:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 18,328
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26434750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eclipton/pseuds/Eclipton
Summary: After moving the headquarters of Team Rocket to Hoenn, Giovanni sets his multi-phase plan for world domination into motion. It's up to Blake Webster, Jon Dickson, Dawn and other Pokemon Trainers to put Giovanni's conquest to an end.
Kudos: 2





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fanfic is a sequel to Pokemon: Best of the Best. If you haven’t read Best of the Best yet, I recommend you do so before you read Giovanni’s Conquest. Otherwise, enjoy.

Chapter 1

The final battle at the Mauville City Tag Team Open Invitational Tournament was already underway at the newly-constructed Mauville City Stadium. The fans in attendance were cheering at the great battle that was taking place. Amongst the fans were Dawn and her Piplup. They were cheering on their friends who were in the final battle.

Blake Webster and Jon Dickson were teaming up against the Badd Brothers, Bill and Bryan. Blake and Jon had Golem and Ursaring out, respectively. Raichu was standing next to Blake and Jon, waiting to be sent into battle if necessary. The Badd Brothers were about to send out their last Pokemon they had left in reserve.

“Go, Aggron!” Bill declared as he threw out his pokeball.

“And I choose Sandslash!” Bryan declared as he threw out his pokeball.

Aggron and Sandslash emerged from their pokeballs, ready to battle.

“Our Pokemon can take them,” Blake said to Jon.

“They sure can,” Jon agreed. “Let’s finish this battle.”

“Time to score a come-from-behind upset, Bryan,” Bill said to his brother.

“Because that’s what we do best,” Bryan agreed. “Sandslash, use gyro ball!”

“Aggron, use iron tail!” Bill commanded.

“Golem, rock ‘n roll!” Blake commanded.

“Ursaring, metal claw!” Jon commanded.

Sandslash and Golem rolled at each other. The collision that followed knocked both Pokemon back. The attacks from Aggron and Ursaring connected as well, causing both of those Pokemon to be knocked back as well. Both sides appeared to be evenly matched.

“Golem, death from below!” Blake commanded.

“Sandslash, earthquake, now!” Bryan commanded.

“Ursaring, stand your ground!” Jon commanded.

“Aggron, hang on!” Bill commanded.

Both Golem and Sandslash struck the ground with such force that caused the entire battlefield to shake violently. Ursaring and Aggron were prepared for what would happen and took cover. However, to everyone’s surprise except for Blake and Jon, the ground beneath Sandslash and Aggron came up from beneath them and launched them into the air before falling to the ground with a hard impact. Sandslash and Aggron were struggling to get back up in time.

“Now’s our chance,” Blake said to Jon.

“Ursaring, bowl a strike!” Jon commanded.

As Golem curled up into a ball, Ursaring picked up Golem and threw Golem at Sandslash and Aggron like a bowling ball. Golem collided against Sandslash and Aggron with such force that it knocked them behind the Badd Brothers. It was clear to everyone what the result was.

“Sandslash and Aggron are both unable to battle!” the referee declared. “Therefore, the Badd Brothers are eliminated! Blake Webster and Jon Dickson are Tag Team Champions!”

The fans cheered at the conclusion of the battle. Aggron, Sandslash, Golem and Ursaring were all returned to their pokeballs. The Badd Brothers met Blake, Raichu and Jon at the center of the battlefield and shook their hands.

“That was some battle,” Bill said to Blake and Jon. “Both of you lived up to your reputations of being Conference Champions.”

“Indeed,” Bryan agreed. “You showed us that we’ve got room for improvement.”

“You two are a great tag team,” Blake said to the Badd Brothers. “It was fun battling against both of you.”

“It sure was,” Jon agreed. “If we battle again, I hope the rematch is better than this one.”

The Badd Brothers then left the battlefield and headed for the locker room. Tyson, the guest host of the tournament, was accompanied by his Meowth and approached Blake and Jon with the Tag Team Championship belts in hand. He presented the belts to Blake and Jon. Blake and Jon held their newly-won belts above their heads in celebration. Tyson had a microphone in hand and made sure it was on before speaking.

“Blake Webster, Jon Dickson, congratulations on winning the Mauville City Tag Team Open Invitational Tournament,” Tyson said. “I’m sure a lot of fans are surprised that both of you managed to win this tournament, despite not being in any previous tag team tournaments in the past. How does it feel to win this tournament?”

“It feels great, Tyson,” Blake answered. “I’ll admit it was a completely different experience competing in a tag team tournament, but I’m glad I had Jon as my partner. I couldn’t have asked for anyone better.”

“It always feels great to win a tournament,” Jon agreed. “It wasn’t long ago when Blake and I decided to come to the Hoenn Region, but we’re having a great time here. We look forward to the rest of our visit in this region. The people are great, the Pokemon Trainers are great, even this city, Mauville City, is great.”

The fans cheered at that last statement. It was clear that a lot of fans in attendance were from Mauville City and had pride in their city.

“Thanks for having a positive opinion of my home,” Tyson said. “Now, I promised everyone I had an announcement at the conclusion of this tournament. Tomorrow, I’m heading back to the Kanto Region to attempt the Battle Frontier. Pyramid King Brandon has personally invited me to attempt this challenge. As many of you know, Brandon and I battled each other at the Best of the Best Tournament and he wanted to battle me again someday. I look forward to this new adventure as well as making all of you proud in the process.”

“Well, I hope you succeed at the Battle Frontier, Tyson,” Blake replied.

“Me too,” Jon agreed.

“Raichu, Rai!” Raichu added.

“Thanks for your support,” Tyson replied. “Let’s hear it one more time for Blake Webster and Jon Dickson, everyone!”

The fans once again cheered for Blake and Jon as well as their hometown hero, Tyson.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Blake and Jon had their newly-won championship belts around their waists as they, Raichu, Dawn and Piplup walked away from the Mauville City Stadium. It was nearly sunset when they left the stadium.

“That was a lot of fun,” Dawn said. “You two sure work great together.”

“It looks like Ash was right,” Blake replied. “Things are a lot more fun when you’re with others. If I knew it before, I would have traveled with other Pokemon Trainers much sooner in my career.”

“Either way, we both got another championship on our lists of achievements,” Jon pointed out. “It may be a Tag Team Championship, but I’ll take it.”

“You know, we should compete in more tag team tournaments whenever we get the chance,” Blake said to Jon. “We’d definitely win more championships that way. It’s just too bad that Pokemon Leagues don’t have tag team divisions at a conference level.”

“Why don’t Pokemon Leagues start up tag team divisions at a conference level?” Dawn asked. “It sounds like such a good idea.”

“It would take too much time to organize, Dawn,” Jon explained. “They’d have to set up Pokemon Gyms dedicated to tag team battles as well as finding those to agree to be Gym Leaders at a tag team level. Not to mention that tag team battles just aren’t as popular as one-on-one battles. In other words, it wouldn’t be practical for them to set up a tag team division at a conference or league level.”

“I see,” Dawn replied.

“Anyway, since we won a tournament, I think we should give our Pokemon the day off tomorrow and have some fun,” Blake suggested. “It’s only fair that they get some much-needed rest after battling over the past few days.”

“What do you have in mind for tomorrow?” Jon asked Blake.

“I say we should go bowling,” Blake answered. “After all, that is how we got the idea for Golem and Ursaring’s double-team move. Not to mention the three of us always have fun when we bowl.”

“I suppose we could,” Jon agreed. “What about you, Dawn?”

“Of course,” Dawn agreed as well.

“Great,” Blake replied. “Tomorrow, we hit the bowling alley. But for now, let’s go to the Pokemon Center to heal our Pokemon.”

*

Giovanni was in his office at Team Rocket Headquarters in the Hoenn Region. He was on the phone with Cassidy and Butch to get an update from them.

“What is the status of the Rocketdome?” Giovanni asked.

“Everything is on schedule,” Cassidy reported. “The Rocketdome will be ready on time for your plan.”

“Good,” Giovanni replied. “We’ll need it in order to eventually gain control of every Pokemon League in every aspect. Not to mention, control of the world. Keep me updated on a regular basis as to the status of the Rocketdome.”

“Understood,” Butch said.

As soon as the call ended, Giovanni heard a knock at the door.

“You may enter,” Giovanni said.

A member of Team Rocket entered Giovanni’s office.

“Our scouts have located the legendary Pokemon you ordered us to find,” the member reported.

“Where?” Giovanni asked.

“On a remote island in the southern area of the Johto Region,” the member answered. “We also have reason to believe that it isn’t alone. We’re going to need heavy reinforcements to catch it.”

“You will have those reinforcements,” Giovanni replied as he stood up from his desk. “And to make sure nothing goes wrong in our attempt to catch it, I’m coming along.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, why?” the member asked.

“I have a secret weapon to guarantee its capture,” Giovanni answered.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The next day, Blake, Jon, Dawn, Raichu and Piplup went to the bowling alley in Mauville City. As they entered, they saw that some of the lanes were already in use by players of various skill levels. Some lanes were still available for them to play on. They went to the reception counter to pay for their games as well as to rent some bowling shoes. As they paid, the manager nearby observed Raichu and Piplup. Blake and Dawn took notice.

“Is there a problem?” Blake asked the manager.

“I’m just making sure your Pokemon are small enough to remain outside of their pokeballs,” the manager replied. “We have a policy here that if Pokemon are too big, they have to remain in their pokeballs at all times.”

“Is it okay for Piplup and Raichu to remain outside of their pokeballs?” Dawn asked.

“It is,” the manager answered. “Just make sure they don’t cause any trouble.”

“You got it,” Blake agreed.

Blake, Jon, Dawn, Raichu and Piplup went to their assigned lane. Once Blake, Jon and Dawn put their bowling shoes on, they checked out the bowling balls to determine which ones they would use to play with. They wanted to make sure they picked those that were in good shape as well as the correct weight for each player.

“I think I’ll play with a slightly heavier ball,” Blake said as he picked up his selected ball. “I’m feeling stronger today.”

“You sure look stronger than before,” Dawn commented as she handed her ball to Jon without looking.

“Jeez, Dawn, don’t hand me your ball when I already have one in my hands!” Jon complained.

“Oh, I’m sorry!” Dawn apologized as she took back her ball. “I should have paid more attention.”

“You should be paying attention to us,” someone next to them said.

Blake, Jon and Dawn turned to see who it was. It was three brothers who were of different body sizes. One was tall, the second was short and the third was fat.

“Why would we want to pay attention to you three?” Dawn demanded.

“If you knew who we were, you’d be shaking in your shoes and begging for mercy,” one of the brothers replied. “I’m Kim.”

“I’m Kail,” the second brother added.

“And I’m Kai,” the third brother added.

“And together, we’re the Invincible Bowling Brothers!” the three said in unison.

“Oh, no,” Blake said in an annoyed tone as he facepalmed himself. “Not these three losers.”

“You know them?” Jon asked.

“Any Pokemon Trainer from Kanto knows who they are and not for anything good,” Blake explained. “They were formerly known as the Invincible Pokemon Brothers until they were banned from all official Pokemon battles for cheating.”

“We played by the rules!” Kim disagreed. “We were disqualified in our last battle because Nurse Joy didn’t like the fact that we took advantage of an opportunity!”

“Yeah!” Kail agreed. “Nurse Joy had no right to disqualify us and ban us afterwards!”

“You forget the most important rule in Pokemon battles: A referee’s decision is final,” Blake pointed out. “From what I heard, you got banned because you argued with Nurse Joy after you were disqualified. All you had to do was accept the outcome of the battle and you’d still be eligible to compete in Pokemon battles.”

“Well, we’ve found a sport that we’re even better at,” Kai replied. “No one can beat us at bowling.”

“I bet we could,” Jon rebutted. “You three are probably all talk and no walk.”

“In that case, we challenge you to a three-on-three game!” Kim challenged. “Highest combined score wins. If we win, we get to take this girl out on a date.”

“Why would I want to date three losers like you?” Dawn demanded in disgust.

“And why would we accept such a bet?” Blake added. “What could you possibly put up for a bet that would even make us consider such a risk?”

“Tell you what, if you win, we’ll give each of you ten thousand dollars,” Kail offered. “We’ve won so much money betting against other bowling trios, we’re willing to put our money where our mouths are, literally.”

“Thirty thousand dollars versus a date,” Kai said. “What do you say?”

“I don’t know about this bet,” Blake whispered to Jon and Dawn as they huddled closely. “It’s a huge risk. We don’t even know how they’ll try to cheat.”

“Yeah, but if we win, the money will make our time here in Hoenn much more comfortable,” Jon pointed out. “It’s up to you, Dawn. Whatever your choice is, we’ll go with it.”

“I say we take them up on their bet,” Dawn decided. “Raichu and Piplup can watch our backs if these brothers try anything funny.”

Blake, Dawn and Jon broke their huddle and turned toward the Invincible Bowling Brothers.

“We’ll accept your challenge and your bet,” Blake said. “But make no mistake. If you even try to cheat, we will know and we will take action.”

“Like I said, we play by the rules,” Kim replied. “Let’s get started.”

“Raichu, keep an eye on them,” Blake commanded.

“Same with you, Piplup,” Dawn commanded.

“Raichu, Rai,” Raichu replied.

“Piplup, Pip,” Piplup agreed.

“We’ll let you take the first shot,” Kail offered to Blake, Dawn and Jon.

Blake was up first for his team. He made sure he was in the right position before beginning his approach. After a few steps, he rolled his ball down the lane. The ball hit between the first and third pins and all other pins fell as well. It was a strike.

“Beat that, Invincible Bowling Brothers,” Blake taunted.

“Not bad,” Kim replied. “But we can make those shots in our sleep. Observe.”

It was Kim’s turn. He positioned himself and rolled his ball down the lane after taking a few steps. Unlike Blake’s previous shot, Kim’s shot hit more into the first pin than the third. The result was a seven-ten split.

“Aw, man!” Kim cursed. “I hate it when this happens! That split is impossible to convert!”

“You shouldn’t have been so prideful toward us,” Jon replied.

“You won’t be so lucky later on in this game,” Kim muttered before he took his second shot.

Kim’s second shot knocked down one of the two remaining pins. Kim’s first frame scored nine.

The game continued on. Both teams bowled with mixed results. When it seemed like one team was about to pull away, the other team would catch up. Raichu and Piplup kept their eyes on the Invincible Bowling Brothers to make sure they didn’t attempt to cheat in any way, shape or form. Kim, Kail and Kai didn’t attempt to cheat because of Raichu and Piplup observing them.

Eventually, both teams were down to their final bowlers in the tenth frame. The score was tied. Jon was last for his team. Kai was last for the Invincible Bowling Brothers.

“Make us proud, Jon,” Blake said.

“Don’t I always?” Jon asked coyly.

Jon got in position for his first shot of the tenth frame. He took a few steps before rolling his ball down the lane. The ball hit between the first and third pins. The result of his shot was a strike.

“Way to go, Jon!” Dawn cheered.

“Do it two more times and we’ve got this game virtually locked,” Blake informed Jon.

Jon picked up his ball for his second shot. He got in position before taking a few steps and rolling the ball down the lane. However, the ball hit more into the first pin than the third. The result of the shot was a seven-ten split.

“Not what I wanted to see,” Jon commented.

“Ha!” Kim taunted. “Now you know how I felt earlier in this game! There’s no way you can convert this split!”

Jon didn’t pay much attention to what Kim said. He picked up his ball and got in position. After a few seconds of doing some mental math in his head, Jon rolled the ball down the lane. The ball hit the seventh pin at such an angle that it bounced off the sidewall and knocked the tenth pin over. The result was a spare.

“YEAH!” Blake and Dawn cheered after they witnessed one of the hardest shots in bowling to make.

“WHAT?!” Kail exclaimed in shock. “That’s impossible! No one can convert a seven-ten split!”

“Well, I just did,” Jon rebutted.

“You got lucky,” Kim replied. “It’s all up to you, Kai. We need twenty-one pins to score a date with that girl.”

“No problem,” Kai said in a proud tone.

Kai picked up his ball. He got in position and took a few steps before taking his shot. As he released the ball from his hand, a buzzer sounded. All pins were knocked down.

“STRIKE!” Kai declared loudly.

“Guess again,” Blake replied.

Kai looked at the scoreboard. Instead of an X on the first shot of the tenth frame, an F appeared.

“What?!” Kai exclaimed. “Why didn’t I get a strike?!”

“You stepped over the foul line,” Blake pointed out. “Your strike didn’t count. You’ll have to knock down all pins this shot to have a chance at a tie.”

“Stupid foul line,” Kai muttered to himself. “I’ll show him.”

Kai picked up his ball for his second shot. He got in position and took a few steps before rolling the ball down the lane, making sure he didn’t step over the foul line in the process. When the ball hit the pins, all but one fell. The tenth pin was wobbling. Kai was hoping for the pin to fall so his team would stay alive. However, the pin remained standing. Kai’s tenth frame scored nine. The game was over.

“Yeah!” Dawn cheered. “We won!”

“That wasn’t fair!” Kim yelled. “That foul shouldn’t have happened! We should have won!”

“Rules are rules,” Jon replied. “You said you play by the rules. Stepping over the foul line is against the rules. Since you lost to us, that’ll be thirty thousand dollars.”

“Forget it!” Kail refused. “We were victims of unfair circumstance! We won’t pay!”

“Oh, going back on your word, eh?” Blake asked sarcastically. “It just goes to show that you three really are sore losers.”

“We didn’t lose, we were cheated!” Kai argued. “We shouldn’t have to honor the bet!”

“But you will,” someone said.

Everyone turned to see who it was. It was the manager of the bowling alley.

“If you make a bet in my bowling alley, you have to honor it,” the manager continued. “Those are the rules. Now give them their money.”

“You can’t make us,” Kim refused.

“That right?” the manager demanded.

“That’s right,” Kail answered.

“In that case, smile, please,” the manager instructed as he pulled out a camera.

The Invincible Bowling Brothers smiled for the camera. The manager took their picture. The photo came out of the camera for the manager to retrieve.

“Why the photo?” Kai asked.

“You’ll see,” the manager replied.

The manager took the photo to the reception counter and pinned it to a board with a few other photos of previous players. The lettering above the photos read in bold letters: BANNED FOR LIFE. The Invincible Bowling Brothers gasped in shock at what they just witnessed.

“You can’t do that!” Kim protested. “We’re frequent customers here!”

“Not anymore,” the manager rebutted. “Your money isn’t good here anymore.”

“Our money is just as good as anyone else’s!” Kail argued.

“Wrong again,” the manager replied. “We reserved the right to refuse service to anyone who refuses to abide by the rules of this establishment. Since you broke the rules by refusing to honor a bet you made, you’re no longer welcome here. Now get out before I call the cops and have you arrested for trespassing.”

The Invincible Bowling Brothers knew they had no way to change the manager’s mind.

“Fine,” Kim said in a tone of contempt. “C’mon, Kail and Kai. Let’s find some other bowling alley to frequent.”

The Invincible Bowling Brothers left the bowling alley for the last time in their lives. They knew they’d have to leave Mauville City to find another bowling alley to play at.

“I’m sorry you got cheated out of a lot of money,” the manager said to Blake, Jon and Dawn. “I’ll tell you what, I’ll let the three of you play another game for free to compensate. I normally don’t give out free games under these circumstances, but I’ll make an exception in your case.”

“Thanks,” Dawn replied. “We appreciate it.”

“Now we can play for fun this time,” Blake said.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Mewtwo and Mew were taking a nap together in the forest of a remote island in the southern part of the Johto Region. They had enjoyed living in seclusion from humans ever since they settled on the remote island. Although there were other Pokemon for Mewtwo and Mew to watch after, they knew the chances of intruders invading the sanctity of the remote island were minimal.

As they continued napping, they heard an explosion from a distance. Mewtwo and Mew immediately woke up and were alert. They knew what was happening.

“We have intruders!” Mewtwo warned Mew. “We must protect the other Pokemon!”

“Mew!” Mew agreed.

Mewtwo and Mew flew low to the ground at a fast speed toward the sound of the explosion. They knew they couldn’t take the risk of flying high if there were explosions. Nevertheless, they knew they had a battle ahead of them.

When Mewtwo and Mew came out of the forest and near the coastline of the island, they saw the Pokemon they were sworn to protect being attacked by helicopters piloted by members of Team Rocket. The helicopters were firing blasts of energy at the Pokemon in attempt to harm them.

“Mew, protect the Pokemon!” Mewtwo commanded. “I’ll deal with the helicopters.”

As Mew used her psychic powers to form barriers over the other Pokemon, Mewtwo used his psychic powers to fire blasts at the helicopters. Two of the helicopters were hit and went down. The rest of the helicopters used evasive maneuvers to avoid being hit.

“Split up!” Giovanni ordered the pilots. “Half attack Mewtwo, the other half on Mew!”

The pilots did as they were ordered. Mewtwo continued attacking the helicopters in order to help defend the Pokemon on the island. However, he was surrounded and unable to intercept the helicopters that began their attack on Mew and the other Pokemon. Mew continued to form protective barriers over the other Pokemon to prevent them from being seriously harmed.

“Never mind the weaker Pokemon right now!” Giovanni instructed. “Concentrate fire on Mew!”

The helicopters focused their energy blasts on Mew. Mew formed a protective barrier over herself in order to avoid being hit. The helicopters continued to fire energy blasts relentlessly at Mew. As much as Mew tried to keep the barrier up, the energy blasts eventually broke through and hit Mew. Mew fell to the ground hard after being hit. Mew was rendered unconscious. The other Pokemon knew Mew was in danger and surrounded her to protect her from further harm.

“Now, take out those weaker Pokemon!” Giovanni commanded.

The helicopters attacked the Pokemon that were protecting Mew. Any Pokemon capable to firing projectile attacks did so against the helicopters, only to cause minor damage. The Pokemon protecting Mew were eventually overwhelmed by the energy blasts and rendered unable to battle.

Mewtwo finished off the helicopters that had surrounded him. Afterwards, he immediately saw Mew and the other Pokemon in danger. He flew at the other helicopters to engage them in battle. His resolve to protect Mew and the other Pokemon was strengthened when he saw Mew unconscious. His attacks were much fiercer than before.

“Break from the other helicopters and get us in position to catch Mewtwo,” Giovanni instructed the pilot of the helicopter he was in.

One of the helicopters broke from the group without Mewtwo noticing. Mewtwo continued to use his psychic powers to take down more helicopters as the helicopters fired back. The battle continued on as Mewtwo was determined to destroy the intruders for what they did to Mew and the other Pokemon.

Suddenly, Mewtwo felt something hit the right side of his head. He turned his head to see what had hit him. To his horror, it was a Master Ball. Beyond the Master Ball, he saw that Giovanni was the one who threw it. Mewtwo was sucked into the Master Ball. As much as he tried to escape, he knew his efforts were in vain. Any Pokemon hit with a Master Ball was guaranteed to be captured. The Master Ball eventually locked, confirming that Giovanni had successfully caught Mewtwo.

“Take us down,” Giovanni instructed the pilot.

The remaining helicopters landed on the remote island. Giovanni stepped off the helicopter he was in to retrieve the Master Ball he used to catch Mewtwo.

“You’re mine again, Mewtwo,” Giovanni declared as he picked up his Master Ball. “This time, I’ll make sure you stay my slave.”

“What should we do about Mew?” one of the members of Team Rocket asked.

“I have no use for Mew,” Giovanni answered. “Mew is not needed for my plan, nor do I have any desire to catch it. Throw it into the ocean. We’ll let the waters be Mew’s grave.”

One of the members of Team Rocket carried Mew and walked toward the coast. Once the member’s feet reached the water, Mew was thrown into the ocean. Mew began to sink. Eventually, Mew was out of sight for Giovanni and the other members of Team Rocket.

“The first phase for world domination is complete,” Giovanni announced. “Everyone, return to headquarters immediately.”

Giovanni and the rest of the members of Team Rocket got back on the helicopters. The helicopters took off and flew away from the remote island.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Blake, Dawn, Jon, Raichu and Piplup entered the Mauville City Central Grand Bistro for dinner. They were in line to check in and be seated. The restaurant was packed for the dinner rush and the wait to be seated would be long for those who didn’t have a reservation in advance. It was eventually their turn to check in.

“Blake Webster, party of three plus two Pokemon,” Blake said to the host.

“The wait time is going to be about forty minutes,” the host informed Blake and his friends.

“We had a reservation in advance,” Dawn pointed out.

The host checked the reservation log. He eventually saw that Blake and his friends had a reservation.

“You’re right, you did,” the host admitted. “I’m sorry, this was a huge mistake on our part. Our only open tables are reserved for celebrities that are native to the Hoenn Region.”

“You’re kidding me!” Blake replied in a disappointed tone. “Then what good is a reservation if it won’t be honored?”

“They can share the table we reserved,” someone behind them said.

Blake and his friends turned around to see who it was. It was none other than Drew and May.

“May, Drew, I wasn’t expecting you two here,” Dawn said.

“We’ll explain when we’re seated,” May replied.

“Very well, Drew,” the host consented. “They can sit with you. Follow me.”

Blake, Dawn, Jon, Drew, May, Raichu and Piplup were seated at an area of the restaurant reserved for celebrities. The waiter shortly came and took their orders before leaving.

“So, what brings you two to Mauville City?” Blake asked Drew and May.

“We were filming a commercial today in this city,” Drew explained. “Our careers as Pokemon Coordinators generated plenty of endorsement deals recently. It’s nice to get paid lots of money to promote certain products.”

“I know what it’s like to film a commercial,” Blake replied. “After I became Indigo Conference Champion, I got an offer to film a commercial in Viridian City with Raichu for Pokemon food. Raichu enjoyed it because he got to eat when they were filming.”

“I never got such offers after I became Silver Conference Champion,” Jon said. “Then again, Sento Cherry Town isn’t really as big as other cities in Johto. There isn’t much of a media presence in my hometown.”

“Well, consider yourself lucky, Jon,” Blake replied. “Being a celebrity isn’t easy. I know that firsthand. It’s not just the paparazzi you have to worry about, you also have to maintain a good image in front of everyone. Not to mention that if you’re a champion, you get all kinds of requests for battles, mostly from local Trainers that aren’t at your level. The fact that you got to enjoy not being harassed is a blessing.”

“Blake’s got a point,” Drew agreed. “Being a celebrity isn’t for everyone. Lots of people want to be famous, but most of the time, they can’t handle the responsibility that comes with it. Those that can handle it are worthy of being a celebrity. I had to learn that the hard way.”

“So, what brings you to Hoenn, Dawn?” May asked.

“Two things, actually,” Dawn answered. “First, I’ve decided to try out the Pokemon Contests here in Hoenn. Second, I’m journeying with Blake and Jon since they wanted to compete in this region as well. It’s working out well for the three of us.”

“How many ribbons do you have right now?” Drew asked.

“Three,” Dawn answered.

“Two more and you’re set for the Hoenn Grand Festival,” May replied.

“It shouldn’t be a problem for a veteran like her,” Blake said. “Jon and I have watched her and she always brings her best.”

“Ever thought about competing in Pokemon Contests?” Drew asked Blake and Jon.

“Not really, no,” Blake answered. “The plan for me was always to be a Trainer rather than a Coordinator. My style has always been in battles, not contests.”

“As for me, being a Trainer was the only option,” Jon added. “Sento Cherry Town isn’t known for producing Coordinators. The best Coordinators in the Johto Region always come from big cities. Obviously, Sento Cherry Town isn’t a big city. Besides, it’s easier to be a Trainer than a Coordinator.”

“Yeah, but being a Coordinator is more rewarding in my opinion,” Drew commented. “You have a better shot at getting endorsement deals and other perks by going down the path of a Coordinator. But as you said, being a Coordinator isn’t for everyone. Some people like Cynthia are better off as Trainers.”

Blake wasn’t sure what to make of that last comment. Specifically, why Drew mentioned Cynthia’s name.

“What does Cynthia have to do with what you just said?” Blake asked.

“Oh, you haven’t heard the latest rumor, have you?” Drew replied. “Well, tomorrow, Cynthia is rumored to come here to Mauville City. No one knows why she’s coming here, but some Trainers are going to be looking for her tomorrow.”

“I had the chance to speak with Cynthia at the Best of the Best Tournament before our battles,” Jon said. “She’s a nice woman. I’d definitely like to speak with her again tomorrow.”

“But shouldn’t we be heading for Slateport City tomorrow?” Blake reminded Jon. “If we don’t get there in time, Dawn won’t be able to compete in the Pokemon Contest that’s scheduled to happen there.”

“We’ve got plenty of time to get there,” Dawn reassured Blake. “Besides, one day isn’t going to hurt us. I’m sure you’d like to speak with Cynthia tomorrow as well.”

“You’re right, Dawn,” Blake admitted. “I would like to know what she was thinking when she battled against Laman Humphrey as well as to get a few tips from her. Who knows? Maybe I’ll end up battling her.”

“Then it’s agreed,” May said. “Tomorrow, we’ll all search for Cynthia and get to know her some more.”

“But for now, let’s all enjoy dinner,” Drew added.

The waiter came with the food that everyone ordered. Once the food was placed in front of everyone, they began eating.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The Master Ball released Mewtwo into a specialized pod at Team Rocket Headquarters. Giovanni was there to observe as Mewtwo awoke to realize where he was.

“You!” Mewtwo cursed as he saw Giovanni.

“It’s useless to attempt escape,” Giovanni informed Mewtwo. “Just accept your fate.”

“NEVER!” Mewtwo yelled in defiance.

Mewtwo attempted to conjure his psychic powers in order to destroy the pod that was imprisoning him. However, those psychic powers never materialized, no matter how hard he concentrated.

“Your efforts are in vain, Mewtwo,” Giovanni gloated. “That pod you’re imprisoned in is specially designed to nullify all psychic energies. You cannot break free.”

Mewtwo couldn’t believe that Giovanni had imprisoned him again, let alone built a pod that could render his powers useless.

“I will not be your slave again,” Mewtwo said.

“You have no choice,” Giovanni rebutted. “There’s no one who can save you this time. By now, Mew is at the bottom of the South Johto Sea. As for the other Pokemon you attempted to protect, they’re stuck on that remote island you resided on all this time. It would be better if you just carried out your intended purpose of life.”

“As your personal puppet for world domination?” Mewtwo demanded.

“Is that the limit of your imagination?” Giovanni asked. “Do you really see yourself as an unrewarded Pokemon? This is your chance to prove that no one can stand against you. You were created to be the most powerful Pokemon of all time. Your intended purpose is to destroy anyone and anything that dares to defy you, not to hide from the world. You can put your powers to use by helping me change the world. Just think about it, Mewtwo. All the wars, all the suffering, all the injustice in the world, we can get rid of it all. This world will finally have the everlasting peace it has been demanding.”

“Without freedom, peace is meaningless,” Mewtwo argued.

“A small price to pay for world order,” Giovanni countered. “I’ve seen all the efforts peace activists put forth and they don’t make one iota of difference. The only way to force change is to make people understand a force that they cannot fight against. With you in my custody, I have that uncontested force that I need to compel everyone to comply. The world will be mine and you’re going to help me gain control of it.”

“Not as long as I have free will,” Mewtwo pointed out.

“You know something, Mewtwo?” Giovanni replied with a grin. “You’re absolutely right. That’s why I’ve designed something that will negate your free will. Observe.”

Giovanni took out a remote controller from his coat pocket and pressed a button on it. The sides of the pod Mewtwo was imprisoned in opened from the inside, revealing various pieces of armor that launched at Mewtwo. The armor began to attach to Mewtwo. As much as Mewtwo tried to rip off the armor, it was too tightly bound to his body. Eventually, the helmet piece of the armor was remotely bound to Mewtwo. Once all the armor was on Mewtwo, Giovanni pressed another button on the remote controller. Mewtwo ceased struggling as if he were a robot on standby awaiting his next command.

“Now, Mewtwo, you will comply with my every command from this point onward,” Giovanni instructed. “Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, Giovanni,” Mewtwo answered without emotion.

“Good,” Giovanni replied as he opened the pod containing Mewtwo. “Now, Mewtwo, return.”

Mewtwo was sent back into the Master Ball. His freedom was taken away. His enslavement was completed.

As Giovanni walked toward his office, his cellphone began to ring. He checked the caller ID to see who it was. It was Cassidy. Giovanni answered his cellphone.

“This is Giovanni,” Giovanni said. “What’s the status of the Rocketdome, Cassidy?”

“The Rocketdome will be completed in twenty-four hours,” Cassidy reported. “It’ll be ready for your plan.”

“Excellent,” Giovanni replied. “It’ll be worth it once the third phase of my plan is completed.”

“Speaking of which, we have an update concerning the second phase,” Cassidy continued. “Our scouts have reported that the Pokemon Trainer we’ve been tracking is going to arrive at Mauville City tomorrow.”

“Are you sure?” Giovanni asked.

“Yes,” Cassidy answered.

“Good,” Giovanni replied. “We’ll prepare our members for an assault in order to take the Trainer into custody. It won’t be long until the second phase is complete.”


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Blake, Jon, Dawn, May, Drew, Raichu and Piplup were walking through Mauville City in search for Cynthia. Some of the residents were going about their normal routines as if it were a normal day, unaware of the rumors that Cynthia would be in town. Others were keeping their eyes open for the Sinnoh League Champion.

“If I were a League Champion, where would I hang out at?” Blake asked himself, trying to determine Cynthia’s possible location.

“Not all League Champions are the same, Blake,” Jon replied. “You should be asking where Cynthia herself would most likely hang out.”

“Well, the first time I saw Cynthia, she was at an ancient site studying some tablets while eating ice cream,” Dawn remembered. “So, either she’s near some ancient ruins near Mauville City…”

“Or she’s at an ice cream parlor,” May finished for Dawn.

“My bet is on the ice cream parlor,” Drew said.

“Then all we have to do is search every ice cream parlor in Mauville City,” Blake concluded.

“That could take all day,” Jon pointed out. “Plus, there’s no way she’s going to hang out at an ice cream parlor all day long.”

“Then we’ll just have to get lucky on our first try,” Blake replied.

“Well, knowing you, luck seems to be on your side in tight situations,” Dawn said to Blake. “Lead the way. We’ll follow your lead.”

Everyone followed Blake to the ice cream parlor he felt Cynthia was at. When they entered, there was only one customer. Sure enough, it was Cynthia. Cynthia was taking her time deciding what flavor she wanted as she usually does. Jon looked through the selection of flavors casually. He knew how to start a conversation with Cynthia.

“I’ll have what she’s having,” Jon told the employee.

Cynthia immediately recognized Jon’s voice. She turned her head to see that Jon was standing right next to her.

“You’re not the Conference Champion I was expecting to meet with today,” Cynthia said to Jon. “What brings you here?”

“Blake, Dawn and I were journeying through Hoenn and heard rumors from May and Drew that you’d be in Mauville City,” Jon explained. “We all decided to pay you a visit today before you continue on your way.”

“Well, I have some time before I rendezvous with my friend,” Cynthia replied. “We can talk over ice cream.”

Everyone selected their flavors and paid the employee. They sat down at a table and began to eat.

“I wasn’t expecting you to be here in Mauville City,” Blake said to Cynthia. “There’s some things we wanted to get your thought on. What was it like battling Laman Humphrey in a close contest at the Best of the Best Tournament?”

“First off, the battle wasn’t even close,” Cynthia began. “It may have seemed that way to everyone else, but I was luring Laman into a false sense of security. I know how to deal with overconfident Trainers. If I really wanted to, I could have wiped out all his Pokemon using only Garchomp. I’ll admit that he took me by surprise when he brought out Dragonite, but Garchomp was still a match against it. Great Trainers can win battles, but League Champions can control them.”

“Then perhaps you can demonstrate that philosophy to me,” Blake replied. “How about after we finish eating our ice cream, we have a battle outside?”

“Normally, I’d accept such a challenge with pleasure,” Cynthia pointed out. “But I have to meet with a friend of mine for some important business.”

“So, who’s your friend you’re planning on meeting today?” Dawn asked.

“Tobias,” Cynthia answered.

“Isn’t that the Trainer that wins using only Darkrai?” Blake asked.

“In most cases, yes,” Cynthia confirmed. “Tobias won the Lily of the Valley Conference Championship in dominating fashion. He was supposed to challenge the Sinnoh Elite Four shortly afterwards, but one of his battles caught the attention of Team Rocket. Ash Ketchum was the first Trainer to defeat his Darkrai on a televised battle. Tobias then brought out Latios against him. Ash’s Pikachu managed to knock out Latios while getting knocked out as well. Had Pikachu been able to continue, everyone would have found out what Tobias’ third Pokemon would have been. Everyone who saw that battle has reason to believe that Tobias has more legendary Pokemon on his roster. For that reason, Team Rocket began to target Tobias in an attempt to steal his Pokemon for their own purposes. Tobias has been on the run and hiding from them ever since.”

“That would explain why he wasn’t at the Best of the Best Tournament,” Jon replied.

“Team Rocket can’t be that tough,” May said. “Ash and I have dealt with Jessie, James and Meowth countless times and we always sent them blasting off.”

“Team Rocket consists of more than just those three,” Cynthia pointed out. “Some members of Team Rocket are to be taken very seriously. That’s why I’m meeting with Tobias. I need to get him to safety. It wasn’t easy figuring out that he would be here today.”

“How’d you find out?” Drew asked.

Before Cynthia could answer the question, everyone heard an explosion from outside of the ice cream parlor.

“What was that?” Dawn asked in a concerned tone.

“Tobias is here and he’s in danger,” Cynthia immediately concluded as everyone stood up.

“We’ve got to help him!” Blake replied.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Blake, Jon, Dawn, May, Drew, Cynthia, Raichu and Piplup quickly ran out of the ice cream parlor. They saw what caused the explosion. Team Rocket had Tobias surrounded and were using various types of Pokemon against those that Tobias had out. Tobias was using Darkrai, Entei, Xerneas, Lugia, Latios and Latias to fend off the countless Pokemon the members of Team Rocket were using.

“I don’t care if you have six legendary Pokemon,” a member of Team Rocket said to Tobias. “You can’t hold your own against all of us.”

“Watch me,” Tobias replied as the battle continued.

“Tobias can’t hold them forever,” Jon said to his friends. “Let’s help him out.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice,” Blake agreed as they rushed to assist Tobias.

Blake and Jon sent out their Pokemon to reinforce Tobias’ efforts in holding off Team Rocket. Blake’s team consisted of Raichu, Golem, Ninetales, Tropius, Vaporeon and Pidgeot. Jon’s team consisted of Rapidash, Ursaring, Rhydon, Feraligatr, Skarmony and Vileplume. Dawn, May, Drew and Cynthia all sent out their Pokemon to attack the surrounding members of Team Rocket.

“I wasn’t expecting help,” Tobias said as he saw the others assisting him against Team Rocket.

“Sometimes, you welcome the unexpected,” Blake replied. “Let’s teach Team Rocket a lesson they’ll never forget.”

The battle continued on. What was originally one Pokemon Trainer against countless others became a more difficult fight for Team Rocket. Team Rocket did not expect Tobias to have reinforcements.

“Feraligatr, make it rain!” Jon commanded.

Feraligatr shot a huge stream of water into the air. The water then fell on several of Team Rocket’s Pokemon. Blake knew what to do next.

“Raichu, chain lightning on Team Rocket’s Pokemon!” Blake commanded.

Raichu unleashed a bolt of lightning that hit one enemy Pokemon after another in a continuous stream. The water that had soaked Team Rocket’s Pokemon made the attack much more potent. Several of Team Rocket’s Pokemon fell.

“Entei, lava plume on the enemy Pokemon behind us!” Tobias commanded.

Entei’s lava plume caused many enemy Pokemon to burn and experience scorching pain. They eventually collapsed from the pain, unable to battle.

“They’ve got a lot of tricks up their sleeves,” one member of Team Rocket said.

“Yeah, but we’ve got some tricks of our own,” another member replied as he pulled out a walkie talkie to contact nearby members. “We need air support immediately.”

The battle continued on. Team Rocket was starting to lose more Pokemon at a faster pace. As Blake, Jon and Tobias continued to hold their ground, Dawn, May, Drew and Cynthia continued to assault the members of Team Rocket from the outer parts of the battle.

“We’ve almost got them!” Dawn said to his friends.

“Just hang on a little longer!” Drew added.

Suddenly, energy blasts began to rain down on any Pokemon that didn’t belong to Team Rocket. Blake and the others looked up and saw three helicopters assisting Team Rocket from above. The battle was beginning to turn in favor of Team Rocket.

“They have backup!” Jon warned.

“We’ve got to take them out or we’re dead!” Blake advised. “Pidgeot, Toripus, attack the helicopters!”

“Skarmony, assist!” Jon commanded.

“Latios, Latias, Lugia, do the same!” Tobias commanded.

The helicopters began to fire at all the flying Pokemon that were sent to intercept them. As fast as the energy blasts were, all flying Pokemon were fast enough to avoid being hit. The flying Pokemon attacked back and caused damage to the helicopters. Pidgeot then flew around one of the helicopters in such a great speed that it caused a strong whirlwind to form. The helicopter started to lose control. The pilot tried to escape the whirlwind and ended up crashing into the other two helicopters, sending them crashing down. Team Rocket no longer had the air support they needed. They were nearly out of Pokemon to battle with as well.

“This isn’t good,” one member of Team Rocket said in a grim tone. “We lost our big guns.”

“We must withdraw!” another member of Team Rocket replied.

All members of Team Rocket returned their Pokemon to their pokeballs before retreating. Blake and his friends didn’t give chase. Instead, they checked on their Pokemon for any injuries.

“Is everyone alright?” Dawn asked.

“It looks like it,” Blake replied as he and his friends continued to check on their Pokemon.

“It’s a miracle we survived against so many,” May commented.

“No, it was teamwork and trust,” Cynthia disagreed. “Because we had both, we were able to win.”

Once every Pokemon was checked on and no serious injuries were found, all Pokemon except for Blake’s Raichu and Dawn’s Piplup were returned to their pokeballs.

“This was an unexpected development,” Tobias said. “I never thought other Pokemon Trainers would come to my aid.”

“Tobias, we need to get you to safety,” Cynthia informed her friend. “Team Rocket’s efforts to capture you and your Pokemon have greatly increased as of late. We have reason to believe that they have something bigger planned.”

“You know me, Cynthia,” Tobias replied. “I’m a loner. Always have been, always will be.”

“That mindset almost got you captured,” Cynthia pointed out. “Had my friends and I not been in the area at the time Team Rocket attacked you, there’s a really good chance you could have lost against them.”

“Cynthia’s right,” Jon agreed. “We can’t let our pride get the better of us. Your Pokemon may be strong, but even legendary Pokemon can fall if they’re completely overwhelmed.”

Tobias saw that Cynthia and the others were not going to stray from their intentions. There was only one choice he could make in this situation.

“Very well,” Tobias consented. “If you’re intent on getting me to safety, I’ll let you be with me. What do you propose we do?”

“We’ll head for Slateport City,” Cynthia answered. “Once we get there, we’ll take a ship to a secure location in a different region where various Elite Four members of different Pokemon Leagues will be. We’ll then plan a coordinated assault on Team Rocket and take them out once and for all.”

“Leaving Hoenn wasn’t part of our plans,” Blake whispered to Dawn as they both huddled close. “If we leave, it’ll change our plans.”

“Yeah, but we need to help Cynthia and Tobias,” Dawn whispered back. “Pokemon Contests can wait. Let’s do the right thing.”

Blake and Dawn broke their huddle and approached Cynthia and Tobias.

“We’re coming to this meeting as well,” Blake said. “Since Jon and I are Conference Champions, the various Elite Four members should welcome our help.”

“They will,” Cynthia confirmed. “Let’s head out, everyone.”

Blake, Jon, Dawn, May, Drew, Cynthia, Tobias, Raichu and Piplup started heading south to leave Mauville City and on the path toward Slateport City. The newly-formed alliance knew that this was only the beginning.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Giovanni was on his cellphone with a member of Team Rocket. The conversation between the two concerned the failed attempt to capture Tobias at Mauville City.

“What happened?” Giovanni demanded.

“Tobias had backup,” the member of Team Rocket reported. “There were six other Trainers that came to his aid after we had him surrounded.”

“I sent enough men to easily overwhelm TEN Trainers!” Giovanni replied in a tone of frustration. “You also had three helicopters equipped with energy weapons in case something went wrong! How could you fail to capture Tobias?!”

“Because one of the Trainers that came to help Tobias was the Sinnoh League Champion, Cynthia,” the member of Team Rocket answered.

That answer caught Giovanni’s attention.

“Did you say Cynthia?” Giovanni asked.

“Yes,” the member of Team Rocket confirmed.

“I see,” Giovanni replied. “This might give me better odds to accomplish the third phase of my plan. What direction are they going?”

“They’re heading toward Slateport City,” the member of Team Rocket answered. “We’ll prepare to cut them off and-”

“No,” Giovanni interrupted. “It’s clear that they’re attempting to get Tobias to another region by ship. I have a plan to intercept them. I’ll not only capture Tobias, but Cynthia as well. That will convince those higher in power to bend their collective knees to me.”

“What should I do in the meantime?” the member of Team Rocket asked.

“Keep an eye on them from a distance,” Giovanni advised. “Don’t let them know you’re nearby. Report to me on their movements on a regular basis. I’ll take care of the rest.”

“Very well,” the member of Team Rocket acknowledged.

The call ended. Giovanni put his cellphone away.

“Fine, I’ll do it myself,” Giovanni said to himself, knowing the other members of Team Rocket were incapable of capturing Tobias and Cynthia.

*

The sun was beginning to set as Blake, Jon, Dawn, May, Drew, Cynthia, Tobias, Raichu and Piplup were traveling southward toward Slateport City. They were in a forest along Route 110 to avoid any possibility of being seen by members of Team Rocket.

“We should set up camp here,” Cynthia advised as they stopped. “We’ll continue on at sunrise tomorrow.”

“Sounds good to me,” May replied. “My feet feel like they’re going to fall off my legs.”

Blake and the others gathered firewood and placed it where they set up camp. Once all the firewood was placed in the center, Blake sent out Ninetales to get the fire started. Once the fire started, Ninetales was returned to its pokeball. Everyone sat around the campfire.

“I heard there was a four-way battle at Viridian City to unofficially determine the Best of the Best,” Tobias said to Blake and Jon.

“That’s right,” Jon confirmed.

“Who won that battle?” Tobias asked.

“Ash Ketchum did,” Blake answered.

“Thought so,” Tobias replied with his suspicion confirmed. “Ash was the only Trainer who gave me any real competition in the Lily of the Valley Conference Tournament. Of all the Trainers I battled in that tournament, he’s the only opponent that gained my respect. We should have battled in the finals instead of the semifinals.”

“I know what you mean, Tobias,” Blake agreed. “Ash knows how to make battles exciting for others. The four-way battle came down to Ash and myself. We were both down to our last Pokemon. I had Raichu, he had Pikachu. I thought I was going to end up the winner. But somehow, his Pikachu barely defeated Raichu. Pyramid King Brandon didn’t seem surprised at all that Ash won. After the battle, we all talked about what we were going to do afterwards. Brandon invited me to challenge the Battle Frontier, but I turned down the invitation.”

“Why did you reject his offer?” Cynthia asked.

“Staying in Kanto wasn’t my plan,” Blake explained. “I wanted to journey away from Kanto after the Best of the Best Tournament and try new things. Coming here to Hoenn was one of the best decisions I’ve made in my career.”

“Of all the possible regions to journey to, why Hoenn?” Tobias asked.

“It was a joint decision between Blake, Jon and I,” Dawn answered. “Ash advised Blake and Jon to travel with some friends. I was more than happy to join them. We talked about possible regions to journey through and eventually came to the conclusion that Hoenn was the best choice for all three of us. Blake and Jon have been doing a great job winning badges from every Gym Leader they challenge. As for me, I like competing against Coordinators I’ve never met before.”

“Where’s Ash now?” May asked.

“Probably in a region he hasn’t been in previously,” Blake hypothesized. “He talked with me about his journeys and how he’s always up for new adventures and new challenges. In other words, I don’t know which region he’s in.”

“Well, I’m sure he’s doing just fine wherever he’s at,” Drew said.

“I’m sure of it as well,” Blake agreed. “One day, we’re going to battle again. Hopefully, it’ll be during a championship battle. That way, we can bring the absolute best out of each other.”

“Well, you’re not alone in wanting to battle Ash again,” Tobias replied. “I’d like to do so as well.”

“Those rematches will be for another time,” Cynthia pointed out. “For now, we’ll need to focus on meeting up with the various Elite Four members to plan our eventual attack on Team Rocket.”

“Where’s the meeting taking place at?” Jon asked.

“You’ll know when we get there,” Cynthia answered. “I shouldn’t say the location out loud. For all we know, Team Rocket could be spying on us. If they found out where the meeting is, they could get there before us and everything would go wrong.”

“And we don’t want that to happen,” Drew added.

“We can’t afford to have this mission fail,” Cynthia continued. “Team Rocket is planning something big. I just know it. Whatever their intentions are, it won’t be good for any of us.”

“If we run into them again, maybe we should try capturing one of their members and interrogating them,” Blake suggested. “We can probably learn their plans that way.”

“I doubt they’ll spill their secrets,” Cynthia disagreed. “More than likely, they fear their leader more than us. We should stick with the original plan to rendezvous with the Elite Four members waiting for us.”

“Then we’ll defer to your judgment,” Jon consented.

“Good,” Cynthia replied. “We should get some sleep now. We’ll need all the energy we can get for tomorrow.”

“I’ll take first watch,” Tobias said.

“You sure, Tobias?” Dawn asked.

“I’m sure,” Tobias answered. “We’ll take turns each hour.”

Everyone except for Tobias slept around the campfire. They all knew the next day was going to be an important one.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The campfire died out as the sun began to rise. Blake, Jon, Dawn, May, Drew, Cynthia, Tobias, Raichu and Piplup quickly got ready and resumed their trek toward Slateport City. They kept their eyes open in case Team Rocket was planning a surprise attack along the way.

“We’re about three hours away,” May informed everyone. “We’ll be there before lunch.”

“We’ll have to order lunch to go,” Cynthia replied. “Once we get to Slateport City, we need to take the earliest ship out of Hoenn. The sooner we set sail, the better.”

“And you’re sure the captain of the ship we take will go where you want?” Dawn asked.

“I have far more influence than you think, Dawn,” Cynthia pointed out. “Being a League Champion in tandem with being a beautiful woman has a lot of benefits. You’d be surprised how much people are willing to do favors for me without me having to ask.”

“Then using your influence on the captain shouldn’t be hard at all,” Blake said.

*

A member of Team Rocket was well-hid behind some rocks on the border of Slateport City. He saw Blake and his friends pass by the hiding place. The member then picked up his cellphone and dialed Giovanni’s number. He was waiting for an answer.

“This is Giovanni,” Giovanni said over the phone.

“They just entered the city limits of Slateport City,” the member of Team Rocket reported.

“Good,” Giovanni replied. “My helicopters will be in position just in time. Order the others to attack at the sound of the first explosion.”

“Yes, sir,” the member of Team Rocket agreed.

*

Blake and his friends ordered their lunches to go from a local burger restaurant as soon as they arrived at Slateport City. With their meals in hand, they started to head for the marina to take a ship out of Hoenn.

“So, which ship are we going to set sail on?” Blake asked.

“It’s called the Lazuli Lapras,” Cynthia answered. “It may not be a luxury cruise ship, but it’ll get us out of Hoenn unnoticed.”

“That’s all I care about,” Tobias replied. “As long as Team Rocket doesn’t catch wind of where we’re heading, I’m fine with whatever ship we end up on.”

The marina eventually came into view for Blake and his friends. There were about a dozen ships docked at the time, but the Lazuli Lapras stood out from the others. It was painted in a coat of lapis lazuli with a Lapras graphic on both the port and starboard sides of the hull. It was big enough to house fifteen people at any given time.

“There it is, glorious and beautiful,” Dawn commented.

“Once we board, I’ll let the captain know where we’re heading,” Cynthia informed everyone.

As they were about to set foot on the docks of the marina, they saw five helicopters approaching from across the sea. The helicopters were flying at a fast speed.

“What’s their hurry?” May asked sarcastically.

It didn’t take long for Cynthia to recognize the paint pattern on the helicopters. Once she realized who was in the helicopters, her demeanor began to change.

“It’s Team Rocket!” Cynthia warned everyone. “RUN!”

As Blake and the others dropped their lunches and began to run off the marina, the helicopters fired their energy weapons at the ships that were docked. The ships were quickly destroyed from the energy blasts. With every ship in flames and parts of the marina in ruins, there was no way for Blake and his friends to get to their intended destination.

The helicopters continued flying toward Blake and the others. As Blake and his friends continued to run away, they were suddenly cut off by various members of Team Rocket who already had their Pokemon deployed.

“It’s a trap!” Jon said to everyone.

“You realized it too late, my friends!” Giovanni replied as he parachuted off one of the helicopters.

Once Giovanni’s feet hit the ground, he quickly took off his parachute. He had Blake and his friends surrounded.

“Allow me to introduce myself,” Giovanni continued. “I am Giovanni, leader of Team Rocket. And soon, ruler of the entire world.”

“What do you want, Giovanni?” Blake demanded.

“I want cooperation from both Tobias and Cynthia,” Giovanni answered. “You see, both of them are needed for what I have in store for everyone else. If they come willingly, I promise none of you will be harmed. Try to resist, well, it won’t end well for any of you.”

“I serve no one!” Tobias claimed. “Not Team Rocket, and not you!”

“If you won’t be my servant, you’ll be my pawn,” Giovanni replied to Tobias. “You and Cynthia are coming with me alive, conscious or not.”

“You’ll have to battle us, then!” Cynthia challenged as she and Tobias each had a pokeball in hand.

“So be it,” Giovanni said as he had his Master Ball in hand. “Go, Mewtwo!”

Mewtwo emerged from the Master Ball, ready to battle.

“Garchomp, shine on!” Cynthia declared as she threw out her pokeball.

“Darkrai, go!” Tobias declared as he threw out his pokeball.

Garchomp and Darkrai emerged from their pokeballs, ready to battle Mewtwo.

“Tobias and I will deal with Giovanni,” Cynthia informed her friends. “Take the others!”

Blake, Jon, Dawn, May, Drew, Raichu and Piplup didn’t hesitate to comply with Cynthia’s instruction. As Cynthia and Tobias began their battle against Giovanni, Blake, Jon, Dawn, May and Drew sent out all their Pokemon against the rest of Team Rocket. The helicopters above held their fire as they could not risk inadvertently hitting any members of Team Rocket or their Pokemon.

“Piplup, use whirlpool to gather the enemy Pokemon!” Dawn commanded.

Piplup launched a huge tornado of water at a group of Pokemon Team Rocket was battling with. A good number of Team Rocket’s Pokemon were caught in the whirlpool.

“Raichu, light ‘em up!” Blake commanded.

Raichu unleashed a huge bolt of lightning at the whirlpool. When the bolt of lightning made contact, the whirlpool exploded, causing every Pokemon caught in it to be knocked unconscious.

The members of Team Rocket sent out more Pokemon to reinforce their numbers. Although Blake, Jon, Dawn, May and Drew had stronger Pokemon than all the members of Team Rocket, they knew they couldn’t hold them off forever. Thirty Pokemon fighting countless more were not favorable odds.

“If we had Tobias and Cynthia, we could win easily,” May commented.

“They’re holding off Giovanni for us!” Drew reminded May. “We can’t ask them to help us!”

“Hold them off!” Blake instructed. “Just hold them off!”

A large number of Team Rocket’s Pokemon eventually had Jon’s Rhydon completely surrounded. Rhydon was starting to be buried underneath the large group of enemy Pokemon. As much as all the other Pokemon tried to come to Rhydon’s aid, they were too busy with their own battles.

“Rhydon, power out of the pile!” Jon commanded in desperation.

Suddenly, all the enemy Pokemon that were piled on top of Rhydon were outpowered and knocked away. Rhydon then started to glow. Jon knew what was happening.

“Rhydon is evolving!” Jon cried out.

Rhydon’s body was engulfed by a blast of light. Its body began to change. When the light faded away, Rhydon had finally evolved into Rhyperior. Team Rocket realized the tide of the battle was about to turn against them.

“That’s exactly what we needed!” Dawn said after she witnessed the evolution.

“Rhyperior, mow down the enemy Pokemon!” Jon commanded.

Rhyperior effortlessly took out Team Rocket’s Pokemon one after another. As much as Team Rocket tried to reinforce their efforts against Rhyperior, there was little damage being done.

“This isn’t good!” a member of Team Rocket said in a grim tone. “We’re done for!”

Suddenly, everyone heard an explosion from the sky. They looked up and saw a signal flare in the shape of an R.

“That’s the signal!” another member of Team Rocket announced. “Everyone, withdraw now!”

The members of Team Rocket recalled their Pokemon back into their pokeballs before they ran away. The helicopters flew away as well. Team Rocket was no longer a threat.

“We did it!” Dawn cheered.

“Our trust and teamwork prevailed again!” May agreed.

Blake looked around to check on everyone’s Pokemon. It didn’t take long to realize that something wasn’t right.

“Wait a minute,” Blake said. “Where’s Cynthia and Tobias?”

The others looked around as well. Cynthia and Tobias were nowhere to be seen.

“Cynthia!” Jon called out. “Tobias! Where are you two?”

The police came on the scene shortly. They were accompanied by Officer Jenny.

“What happened here?” Officer Jenny asked as the police began to secure the area.

“There was an attack by Team Rocket,” Drew reported. “We forced them to retreat. But we have another problem. Two of our friend, Cynthia and Tobias, are missing.”

Suddenly, everyone heard someone laughing in a cruel manner. They turned to the sound and saw a member of Team Rocket on the ground. He was apparently injured during the battle and left behind, yet he didn’t seem to care about his condition.

“What happened to Cynthia and Tobias?” Blake demanded.

“Giovanni captured them,” the member of Team Rocket claimed.

“You lie!” Jon yelled.

“One of us was hidden during the battle between them,” the member of Team Rocket continued. “The hidden member used a Hypno to put Cynthia and Tobias in a state of slumber when they were switching Pokemon. Getting both of them in a helicopter unnoticed wasn’t hard. Now Giovanni has everything he needs.”

“Where is he taking them?” Blake demanded.

“I’d rather die than tell you,” the member of Team Rocket claimed. “I know my rights. I want a lawyer.”

“You’re going to need one,” Officer Jenny replied as she handcuffed and stood the member of Team Rocket up. “You’re under arrest for conspiracy to commit terrorism.”

Officer Jenny took the member of Team Rocket to a police car. Once the member of Team Rocket was placed in the back seat, Officer Jenny closed the door and the vehicle took off toward the local jail. Officer Jenny then approached Blake and the others.

“We’ll need to search for clues from this crime scene,” Officer Jenny informed Blake and his friends. “I need you to leave this area immediately.”

“Of course,” Blake consented.

Blake and his friends recalled all their Pokemon in their pokeballs except for Raichu and Piplup before leaving the scene of the crime. Once they left, the crime scene was blocked off by barricades and police tape.

“Great,” Jon said in a grim tone. “This is the last thing we wanted to have happen. Not only are Cynthia and Tobias in Team Rocket’s custody, we don’t know where to find the Elite Four members we were supposed to meet.”

“What do we do now?” Dawn asked.

“Pray for a miracle,” Blake answered.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

When Cynthia and Tobias woke up, they found themselves in separate cages next to each other. As they stood up, they saw that they were on the sidelines of a Pokemon battlefield in a domed stadium. A few members of Team Rocket were nearby, including Giovanni.

“So, you’ve finally awakened,” Giovanni said to Cynthia and Tobias.

Tobias attempted to reach for a pokeball. However, he found that his pokeballs were no longer on his belt.

“If you’re looking for your Pokemon to bail you out, they’re in that glass case,” Giovanni continued as he pointed to a glass box that contained the pokeballs that Cynthia and Tobias once had.

“Entei, emerge!” Tobias commanded.

However, Entei did not come out of its pokeball. This confused Tobias as his Pokemon never disobeyed a command to come out of their pokeballs.

“It’s no use, Tobias,” Giovanni taunted. “That glass case is soundproof. Your Pokemon can’t hear you or your commands. They’re mine now.”

“They’ll never obey you,” Tobias replied.

“Once I develop armor that conforms to their bodies designed to inhibit their free will, they’ll obey me without question,” Giovanni rebutted. “But that’s not the main reason why I captured you and Cynthia.”

“Where are we and why did you bring us here?” Cynthia demanded.

“You’re in my newest creation, the Rocketdome,” Giovanni began. “The Rocketdome will be the primary venue for the greatest Pokemon Trainers in the world to battle in. You see, I’m planning on being the only game in the world as far as Pokemon battles are concerned. All other Pokemon Leagues are going to soon be out of business. Best of all, both of you are going to play a key role in helping me acquire control.”

“We will do no such thing!” Cynthia refused. “I’d rather die than help you destroy something I helped contribute to. So why don’t you just kill us instead?”

“Both of you are of no use to me dead,” Giovanni pointed out. “If I were to kill both of you, I’d lose my bargaining chip that I’ll be using soon.”

“What do you mean by ‘bargaining chip’?” Tobias demanded.

Butch and Cassidy approached Giovanni.

“The broadcast satellites are nearly in position,” Cassidy reported to Giovanni.

“Good,” Giovanni replied. “Get the cameras ready for our message to be televised.”

“Yes, sir,” Butch said.

Giovanni turned back to Cynthia and Tobias as Butch and Cassidy were preparing the cameras.

“Both of you are about to be on television worldwide,” Giovanni informed Cynthia and Tobias. “I suggest you smile for the cameras.”

*

Blake, Jon, Dawn, May, Drew, Raichu and Piplup were all at the Slateport City Pokemon Center. They were allowing their Pokemon to rest and heal from the battle that had taken place earlier against Team Rocket. While they were in the main lobby, they were watching the news on television.

“The police are still looking for clues as to the abduction of Cynthia and Tobias,” the newswoman reported. “Team Rocket’s motive on the attack in Slateport City is still uncertain. While one of their members remains in police custody, he is refusing to answer any questions. Authorities are offering a fifty-thousand-dollar reward for information leading to the rescue of Cynthia and Tobias as well as the capture and arrest of Giovanni, the leader of Team Rocket.”

“It didn’t take long for the media to break the story,” Blake said.

“Well, don’t count on the police or anyone else to solve this crime,” Dawn replied. “It’s going to be up to us to rescue Cynthia and Tobias.”

“But we don’t know where Giovanni took them,” Jon pointed out. “Not to mention we don’t know where the Elite Four members are, so we won’t have their help in taking down Team Rocket, either.”

The television started to display static. The news was no longer on the screen.

“What’s going on?” May asked. “There’s no storm outside.”

“Nurse Joy, something’s wrong with the television signal,” Drew informed Nurse Joy.

“I’ll see what’s wrong with the satellite dish,” Nurse Joy replied.

Before Nurse Joy could check, the signal was restored. Instead of the news being broadcast, Giovanni was seen on television for everyone watching.

“It’s Giovanni!” Dawn cried out.

“Greetings, everyone,” Giovanni began. “I am Giovanni, leader of Team Rocket. As you know, there have been recent attacks conducted by my organization in various cities in the Hoenn Region. These attacks were conducted in order to apprehend a person of interest. We not only have this person in interest currently in custody, we also have someone who was helping this person resist capture. Here they are now.”

The camera shifted to show Cynthia and Tobias in their cages. They were not amused with their situation.

“He has them caged up!” Blake said as he stood up.

“At least we know they’re safe,” Jon replied.

“To those unfamiliar, they are Cynthia and Tobias, the Sinnoh League and Lily of the Valley Conference Champions, respectively,” Giovanni continued. “Why do I have them in custody? It’s to send a message to Charles Goodshow and the other Pokemon League executives. I want you to meet with me here at the Rocketdome. Helicopters will be sent to your homes where members of Team Rocket will escort you directly to the Rocketdome’s location. Now, if you decide to decline my invitation or have police follow my helicopters, I will kill both Cynthia and Tobias. The only way for you to guarantee their safety is to cooperate. Once all of you arrive at the Rocketdome, we will discuss terms for the release of these two champions. The terms will be finalized by signing your names on a contract that has already been written up by me. In order for all terms to be satisfied, you must also relinquish full control of every Pokemon League to Team Rocket. That condition is not negotiable. If you refuse to relinquish full control of every Pokemon League, both Cynthia and Tobias will die right in front of you. You have been warned. I look forward to meeting with you tomorrow. Farewell.”

The broadcast ended. The image on the television screen went back to the news that was previously on.

“Now we know why he was so desperate to capture both Cynthia and Tobias today,” Drew said.

“Things just became much worse for us,” Blake replied in a grim tone.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

“You’re insane if you think the executives will give you full control of every Pokemon League,” Cynthia said to Giovanni.

“They have no choice,” Giovanni rebutted. “They can’t afford for you and Tobias to be dead. After all, champions like the both of you bring in a lot of money for them. Not to mention they won’t be able to live with a clean conscience if they let you die.”

“Why are you really doing this?” Cynthia demanded. “There’s more to this than what you’re claiming. Why do you really want control of every Pokemon League?”

“In all honesty, I couldn’t care less about the future of the sport,” Giovanni began. “What I really want is their finances. Pokemon Leagues rake in billions of dollars in profits every year. By gaining control of the Pokemon Leagues, I also gain access to their bank accounts. I plan on using the money to bribe every high-ranking police agent, judge, politician and government leader in the world to do my bidding. I will have the law changed to my liking while being immune from prosecution in the process. By doing this, I will become ‘the law’.”

“You’re even more insane if you think everyone will accept such bribes,” Tobias replied.

“That’s why I have a backup plan for such incorruptible persons,” Giovanni continued. “In the event that someone refuses to accept a bribe, I’ll simply order those under my command to assassinate them so they can be replaced by those who are corrupt. Even in the unlikely event that I end up getting arrested, I’ll never be convicted. There will always be someone higher in power who will bail me out. In other words, it’ll be impossible for me to be ‘brought to justice’.”

“What would possess you to do something like this?” Cynthia demanded.

“I’ve seen a lot of injustice growing up,” Giovanni explained. “My parents abused me as a child, yet no one did anything about it. The police wouldn’t arrest them, no politician cared, even advocates against domestic violence wouldn’t do a thing. When I left my parents, I vowed to end such cruelties everywhere. It may seem like I’m a dictator, but I have a noble cause. I want to end all the injustice in the world by any means necessary. If it means taking away the rights of others, so be it. No price is too big to pay to control everyone’s actions.”

“Your grievance doesn’t buy my sympathies,” Tobias said.

“It also doesn’t justify your course of action,” Cynthia added.

“I don’t blame you two for failing to see the bigger picture,” Giovanni replied. “Regardless, I will do what I must to gain the power and control I desire.”

Giovanni turned away from Cynthia and Tobias and approached Cassidy and Butch.

“What do you want us to do?” Butch asked.

“The other Pokemon Trainers in Slateport City might try to figure out where the Rocketdome is,” Giovanni warned. “I want both of you to battle them tomorrow to buy us some more time. Your Pokemon you currently have won’t be enough. I am loaning you some stronger Pokemon to battle with. They will obey you without question.”

Giovanni opened his coat and retrieved some pokeballs to hand to Cassidy and Butch.

“Thank you,” Cassidy replied as she and Butch took the pokeballs from Giovanni.

“Do not fail me,” Giovanni ordered.

*

It was the middle of the night when Dawn woke up from her sleep at a lodging room of the Pokemon Center of Slateport City. She saw that Jon, May, and Drew were still sleeping. However, Blake was not in the room despite his Raichu still sleeping in his bed. Dawn got out of bed and walked toward the door.

“Piplup?” Piplup reacted when it saw Dawn about to leave the room.

“Piplup, stay here,” Dawn commanded.

Piplup did as commanded. Dawn left the lodging room in search for Blake. It didn’t take long for her to find Blake in the lobby of the Pokemon Center, despite all operations being closed at the time. He was sitting on a bench all alone. Dawn decided to sit next to him.

“Having trouble sleeping?” Dawn asked.

“Yeah,” Blake answered. “So much has happened that’s been weighing heavily on my mind. Not just Cynthia and Tobias being captured, but now Giovanni is demanding control of every Pokemon League. If he gets control, it’ll spell the end of the sport.”

“What makes you think that?” Dawn asked.

“C’mon, Dawn,” Blake replied. “Who in the right frame of mind would want to watch a sport that’s under control of a criminal organization? Who would want to compete in a sport that’s controlled by a criminal organization? The sport isn’t the only thing at risk. The Trainers and fans are as well. I have no doubt if Giovanni gains control, he’ll mess everything up and a lot of Trainers will end up quitting. Without household names competing in battles, the fans will stop watching and the sport will eventually fold altogether.”

“We’re not going to let that happen,” Dawn said. “We’ll do whatever it takes to prevent it from happening.”

“I know,” Blake agreed. “Giovanni said he’s using helicopters to transport the Pokemon League executives to the Rocketdome. All we have to do is use our flying Pokemon to search through Hoenn until we find those helicopters. We’ll then follow them to the Rocketdome, take out Team Rocket and free Cynthia and Tobias.”

“That sounds a bit too risky, Blake,” Dawn pointed out.

“Do you have any better ideas?” Blake asked sarcastically.

“No,” Dawn answered.

“That’s what I thought,” Blake replied. “Look, Dawn, we have to take this chance. I know the odds are against us, but if we don’t try, Giovanni will win. If this plan doesn’t work, I’ll quit being a Pokemon Trainer.”

Dawn couldn’t believe what she just heard. She never thought one of her closest friends would ever consider leaving the sport.

“Why would you consider quitting?” Dawn demanded.

“I’d rather leave the sport than continue under the control of one of my enemies,” Blake explained. “There’s no way I’ll ever take orders from Giovanni or Team Rocket. If they gain control, it won’t be worth continuing. Continuing under Giovanni’s control would be doing a disservice to everyone else.”

“I see your point,” Dawn replied. “I’ll do what I can to help you tomorrow.”


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Blake, Jon, Dawn, May, Drew, Raichu and Piplup woke up early. They ate breakfast in the cafeteria of the Slateport City Pokemon Center while discussing their plan to locate the Rocketdome. It didn’t take them long to agree to Blake’s idea to use flying Pokemon in their search.

Once they were ready, they walked out of the Pokemon Center. The moment they stepped outside, they saw Cassidy and Butch waiting for them.

“That’s as far as you go,” Cassidy said. “You’re not leaving this city.”

“Oh, great,” Blake replied sarcastically. “More Team Rocket losers.”

“We’re not losers!” Butch yelled. “We’re here to stop you!”

“To infect the world with devastation!” Cassidy said.

“To blight all people in every nation!” Butch added.

“We don’t have time for poetry!” Blake interrupted, realizing they were reciting their motto.

“No one interrupts the Team Rocket motto!” Cassidy scolded.

“I just did,” Blake rebutted. “Tell us where the Rocketdome is right now, you wannabe poets!”

“We won’t tell you that,” Butch said in defiance. “But we will battle you right here, right now!”

“Fine by us,” Jon agreed. “Once Blake and I beat you two, you will tell us where the Rocketdome is.”

Blake, Jon, Cassidy and Butch got in position, each Trainer with a pokeball in hand.

“Golem, go!” Blake declared.

“And I choose Ursaring!” Jon declared.

Both Golem and Ursaring emerged from their pokeballs, ready to battle.

“Go, Nidoqueen!” Cassidy declared.

“Nidoking, I choose you!” Butch declared.

Nidoqueen and Nidoking emerged from their pokeballs, ready to battle.

“We’ve got this, Jon,” Blake said.

“You know it, Blake,” Jon agreed.

“Double kick!” Cassidy and Butch both commanded.

Nidoking and Nidoqueen both jumped in the air and started to descend on Golem and Ursaring. They were about to unleash their attack.

“Spinebuster!” Blake and Jon both commanded.

As Nidoking and Nidoqueen both threw their kicks, Golem and Ursaring blocked and grabbed the legs of their enemies. Nidoking and Nidoqueen were both slammed spine-first on the ground in clear pain.

“Throw them back!” Blake and Jon both commanded.

Golem and Ursaring both picked up Nidoking and Nidoqueen and threw them back toward Cassidy and Butch. Nidoking and Nidoqueen hit the ground hard in front of both Team Rocket members.

“Nidoking, get up!” Butch commanded.

“You too, Nidoqueen!” Cassidy commanded.

“Now’s our chance, Jon,” Blake said to his friend.

“Ursaring, bowl a strike!” Jon commanded.

As Nidoking and Nidoqueen were attempting to stand back up, Ursaring picked up Golem and threw him like a bowling ball. Both Nidoking and Nidoqueen were both hit with such great velocity that they both were rendered unconscious. When Cassidy and Butch saw that they were unable to battle, they returned Nidoking and Nidoqueen back to their pokeballs.

“You won’t get lucky again,” Cassidy said. “Next, we choose-”

Before Cassidy and Butch could send out their next Pokemon, a cloud of spores came upon them. They immediately fell to the ground, unable to move. Blake and Jon turned to the direction where the cloud of spores came from and saw that Drew had his Roserade out and had it use stun spore on both Cassidy and Butch.

“Nice work, Drew!” Blake said as Roserade was returned to its pokeball.

“Now we can find out where the Rocketdome is,” Drew replied as Blake walked up to Cassidy and Butch.

“Alright, you two,” Blake said to Cassidy and Butch. “Where’s the Rocketdome?”

“We’ll never tell you!” Butch defiantly replied.

“Maybe this will change your mind,” Blake said as he stomped on Butch’s right hand.

Butch screamed in pain from his hand being stomped on. As much as he wanted to flinch away, he couldn’t due to the effects of stun spore.

“It’s only going to get worse from this point on,” Blake warned Butch. “Where’s the Rocketdome?”

“Wait!” Butch pleaded. “Wait! We can’t tell you! If we tell you where it is, Giovanni will kill us and our families!”

“We’re going to kill you a lot sooner if you don’t tell us!” Jon replied. “You see my Ursaring? It’s hungry for another meal. If you don’t tell us where the Rocketdome is, you’re going to be that meal!”

Blake stepped harder on Butch’s hand, causing more intense pain. Butch continued to scream in pain.

“I’m not asking again!” Blake yelled at Butch.

“You’re bluffing about Ursaring!” Butch replied. “You wouldn’t be so cruel!”

“Jon, order your Ursaring to rip out their organs and eat them,” Blake instructed.

“Alright, we’ll tell you!” Butch quickly said in a tone of desperation. “It’s on the eastern outskirts of the Desert Ruins here in Hoenn. We told you what you wanted to hear! Please, call off Ursaring!”

Golem and Ursaring were returned to their pokeballs. Immediately afterwards, Blake’s Tropius, Jon’s Skarmony and Drew’s Flygon were all sent out of their pokeballs. Blake, Dawn, Raichu and Piplup climbed on Tropius, Jon climbed on Skarmony, and May and Drew climbed on Flygon.

“Alright, everyone!” Blake said to his friends. “To the eastern outskirts of the Desert Ruins!”

“Wait!” Cassidy pleaded. “Aren’t you going to heal our paralysis?”

“That wasn’t part of the deal!” Jon replied as he and his friends flew off.

“He’s right!” Butch admitted. “It wasn’t!”


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Tropius, Skarmony and Flygon continued to fly northward carrying Blake, Jon, Dawn, May, Drew, Raichu and Piplup. They remained at a low altitude to avoid being detected by any helicopters that Team Rocket might be flying nearby.

“I find it odd that Team Rocket would build the Rocketdome in the desert,” Dawn said. “You’d think they’d build it somewhere with more life nearby.”

“They probably did it to avoid being detected by the police,” Blake hypothesized. “Think about it. If you were part of a criminal organization, would you want your base to be easily found?”

“No, I wouldn’t,” Dawn answered.

“So how are we going to get past security?” Drew asked. “I have no doubt they’re going to have a lot of men guarding the entrance.”

“Leave that to my Rhyperior,” Jon replied. “It’s powerful enough to break through a legion of Team Rocket members singlehandedly and still have energy left afterwards.”

“Good to know,” Blake said. “Once we’re in, we’ll find Cynthia and Tobias and get them out of there. Without them, Giovanni won’t have any leverage to force the executives to turn over control of all Pokemon Leagues.”

As they were getting closer to the Desert Ruins, they started to hear a helicopter approaching. The helicopter was at a higher altitude than Blake and the others. Nevertheless, Blake and his friends knew they couldn’t take any chances of being seen.

“Quick, hide amongst the trees!” Blake commanded.

Tropius, Skarmony and Flygon flew to a lower altitude and amongst the trees that were below them. The helicopter that belonged to Team Rocket continued flying toward the eastern outskirts of the Desert Ruins. It only took a few seconds for Blake and his friends to realize they were not detected.

“All clear,” Jon said. “Let’s continue onward.”

Tropius, Skarmony and Flygon emerged from the trees and continued flying at a low altitude in case more Team Rocket helicopters would approach.

“The executives are going to be at the Rocketdome before us,” May warned. “What’s our backup plan?”

“We’ll have to improvise,” Blake advised. “Our priority now is to get to Cynthia and Tobias before the executives sign the contract. Jon will use his Rhyperior to clear the way for us.”

“What about once we’re in?” Dawn asked. “They’re not going to let us just walk out of there with Cynthia and Tobias.”

“We’re going to have to battle Giovanni and any other members of Team Rocket once we’re in,” Blake replied. “Jon, Drew and I will do the majority of battling. Dawn and May, you two work on finding and freeing Cynthia and Tobias.”

“How are you going to get out once we’ve got Cynthia and Tobias?” May asked.

“That’s where the improvising comes into play,” Blake answered. “There are some things we just can’t plan for.”

They eventually reached the eastern outskirts of the Desert Ruins. Once the Rocketdome came into sight, Tropius, Skarmony and Flygon lowered their altitude to near-ground level. They eventually came to a stop just before they were about to come into view from the members of Team Rocket guarding the entrance. Tropius, Skarmony and Flygon were returned to their pokeballs after Blake, Jon, Dawn, May, Drew, Raichu and Piplup dismounted.

“Alright, Rhyperior, you’re up,” Jon declared as he sent Rhyperior out of its pokeball. “Take out those security guards!”

Rhyperior started charging toward the entrance of the Rocketdome. The members of Team Rocket saw Rhyperior coming and quickly sent out various Pokemon. However, their efforts were for nothing. Rhyperior easily took out the enemy Pokemon as well as the members of Team Rocket. Once the members of Team Rocket were on the ground unconscious, Blake, Jon, Dawn, May, Drew, Raichu and Piplup ran toward the entrance.

“That’s part one,” May said.

“Now for part two,” Drew added.

“Rhyperior, stay in front to ward off any attacks,” Jon instructed.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Mr. Goodshow and the other Pokemon League executives were escorted to the battlefield of the Rocketdome by members of Team Rocket. Giovanni was already there awaiting their arrival. Cynthia and Tobias were still locked up in their cages on the sideline of the battlefield.

“How nice to see you, Mr. Goodshow,” Giovanni said.

“Giovanni, this is a new low, even for you,” Mr. Goodshow replied in disgust. “Cynthia and Tobias have nothing to do with any of this.”

“I do what I must to compel cooperation,” Giovanni claimed. “If you want them to be released from my custody alive, you and the other executives will sign over control of every Pokemon League to me.”

“The fans and Trainers won’t approve of any of this,” one of the executives said. “You’ll have to answer to them.”

“Correction; they will have to answer to me,” Giovanni rebutted. “In a few moments, the entire world will witness the contract being signed live on television. Everyone will witness history firsthand.”

“What makes you think we’ll actually play along with this?” another executive demanded.

“Well, let’s put our cards on the table,” Giovanni replied. “If you and the other executives refuse to sign the contract, I will have no choice but to kill Cynthia and Tobias right in front of you. If your resolve still upholds, I will be forced to order members of Team Rocket to go after your families and kill them as well.”

“You leave their families out of this, Giovanni!” Mr. Goodshow ordered.

“Then comply with my demands,” Giovanni instructed. “Once we go on the air, you will obey my instructions and sign the contract when told to do so. Once you’ve done everything to my satisfaction, Cynthia, Tobias and the rest of you will be allowed to return home safely without fear of being attacked by Team Rocket.”

“We’re about to go on the air,” a member of Team Rocket operating a television camera informed Giovanni.

“Good,” Giovanni replied. “How long until the broadcast begins?”

“In a few seconds,” the same member of Team Rocket answered. “We’re on in three…two…one…”

“Greetings, everyone,” Giovanni began as the television broadcast was underway. “I am Giovanni, leader of Team Rocket. As you recall the broadcast from yesterday, I requested the presence of Charles Goodshow and other Pokemon League executives here at the Rocketdome. Well, here they are. They are about to sign a contract which will grant Team Rocket and I full control of every Pokemon League in the world. This shift of power will be a historic one as a new era of the sport will begin. Many of you may disagree with this course of action, but I assure you it is for the better. All of you will be used to the change of leadership in a few months. Now, Charles Goodshow will be the first to sign the contract.”

Mr. Goodshow walked toward the table next to the cages that Cynthia and Tobias were being held in. He started to read the contract that was on the table.

“Don’t do it, Mr. Goodshow,” Cynthia pleaded. “Our lives aren’t worth giving control over to Giovanni.”

“I’m sorry, Cynthia,” Mr. Goodshow replied as he continued reading the contract. “I can’t in good conscience allow others to die over this.”

“There’s no need to read every word,” Giovanni told Mr. Goodshow. “The contract is exactly what I said is in it. Nothing more, nothing less. Pick up the pen and sign your name on the contract.”

Mr. Goodshow picked up the pen. He appeared nervous about what he was about to do. With the few strokes of the pen he was about to perform, he would forever change the course of history for the sport that he dedicated much of his life for. The pen was slowly moving toward the page of the contract that would soon feature his signature.

“Do me a favor, Mr. Goodshow!” someone called out. “Rip up that contract instead!”

Mr. Goodshow put the pen down after hearing what everyone else did as well. Everyone turned to the sound of the voice. It was Blake and his friends coming out of the entrance tunnel. They made it in time just before Mr. Goodshow was about to sign the contract.

“Impossible!” Giovanni cursed. “How did you find the Rocketdome so quickly?”

“Those Team Rocket members you sent after us didn’t want to become bear food,” Jon answered.

“We’ve faced tougher Trainers than those losers you sent,” Blake added. “Let Cynthia and Tobias go right now.”

“Why should I?” Giovanni demanded. “I’m about to make history by gaining control of every Pokemon League. With every Pokemon League under my control, I will have everything I need to rule the world and end all the injustice in it. I will finally change the world according to my vision, everyone will bend the knee to me, and freedom will be dead!”

“Not as long as I live,” Blake disagreed. “Giovanni, by my right as Indigo Conference Champion, I, Blake Webster, challenge you to a battle to decide the fate of the world! If I win, you must abandon your conquest forever!”

“How amusing that you’re challenging me when the entire world is watching,” Giovanni replied. “Very well, Blake. I’ll accept your challenge on two conditions. First, this battle will be one Pokemon only.”

“Fine by me,” Blake consented. “I only need one Pokemon to beat you. Now, what’s the second condition?”

“If you lose, you will die,” Giovanni declared.

“Blake, don’t do it!” Dawn pleaded. “He’s got something big planned! I just know it!”

“She’s right, Blake,” Tobias agreed. “Mewtwo is an extremely powerful psychic Pokemon. It took out Garchomp and Darkrai at the same time.”

“I know how to beat psychic Pokemon,” Blake rebutted. “I’m not afraid of facing Mewtwo and neither are any of my Pokemon.”

“Then what do you say?” Giovanni asked. “Do you accept the terms of the battle?”

“I do,” Blake answered.

“Then let’s get this battle underway,” Giovanni replied.

Blake and Giovanni took their positions at their respective endzones of the battlefield. Everyone else was on the sidelines. The battle to determine the fate of the world was about to begin.

“Go, Mewtwo!” Giovanni declared as he threw out his Master Ball.

Mewtwo emerged from the Master Ball, ready to battle.

“Raichu, make me proud,” Blake said.

“Raichu, Rai!” Raichu replied as he walked onto the battlefield, ready to battle.

“This battle will now begin!” a member of Team Rocket acting as the referee declared. “Fight!”

“Mewtwo, psystrike!” Giovanni commanded.

“Raichu, Attack Pattern Sigma!” Blake commanded.

As Mewtwo launched orbs of psychic energy at Raichu, Raichu ran toward Mewtwo in a zig-zag pattern, evading the psychic orbs in the process. Once Raichu was close enough, he jumped high in the air and used his tail to hit Mewtwo in the head as he was descending. Mewtwo staggered back a few steps, yet was able to stay on his feet.

“Bind Raichu with psychic!” Giovanni commanded.

Mewtwo focused his psychic energy to lift Raichu off his feet and into the air. Blake wasn’t concerned about Raichu’s condition as he knew what command to issue.

“Fire at will at Mewtwo’s head!” Blake commanded.

As Mewtwo began to focus his psychic energy to inflict pain on Raichu, Raichu fired multiple thunderbolts at Mewtwo’s head. Many of the thunderbolts connected, yet Mewtwo was not relinquishing his psychic hold. The helmet of Mewtwo’s armor began to crack. Giovanni knew if the helmet broke, he would lose control of the battle.

“Mewtwo, push Raichu away!” Giovanni commanded.

Mewtwo used his psychic energy to throw Raichu toward Blake. Raichu hit the ground hard, yet got right back up.

“Raichu, Attack Pattern Delta!” Blake commanded.

Raichu ran toward Mewtwo again. Once he was close enough, he began running in a triangular pattern in an attempt to catch Mewtwo off his guard.

“Mewtwo, use psychic again!” Giovanni commanded.

“Raichu, same thing as before!” Blake commanded.

As Mewtwo caught and lifted Raichu with psychic energy, Raichu began to fire more thunderbolts at Mewtwo’s head. However, such efforts would be short-lived for Raichu.

“Now, Mewtwo, psystrike!” Giovanni commanded.

With Raichu unable to evade, Mewtwo launched an orb of psychic energy at Raichu. The orb exploded on contact, sending Raichu flying back at Blake’s feet. Raichu was in clear pain from the attack.

“Get up, Raichu!” Blake commanded in desperation. “Get up! The world depends on it!”

Raichu struggled to get back up to his feet. Nevertheless, he managed to barely do so, keeping the battle alive.

“A valiant performance,” Giovanni commented. “I’m impressed your Raichu is still able to stand. But it makes no difference. Playtime is over. Mewtwo, finish Raichu right now!”

As Mewtwo rushed at Raichu, an explosion from the ceiling was heard by everyone. Everyone looked up at the newly-formed hole in the ceiling and saw Mew flying straight for Mewtwo. Mew cut off Mewtwo before Mewtwo could launch another attack against Raichu.

“Mew!” Mew pleaded. “Mew! Mew!”

Mewtwo just stood there, as if he was starting to remember everything before his free will was taken away.

“Don’t let that weak Pokemon stop you, Mewtwo!” Giovanni ordered. “Destroy Mew and finish the battle!”

Mewtwo continued to stand in a state of remembrance. It was as if he didn’t hear Giovanni.

“Fine, I’ll increase the juice!” Giovanni said as he retrieved his remote controller from his coat pocket.

With the press of a button, Mewtwo started to move again. He launched an orb of psychic energy at Mew. Mew managed to invoke a protective barrier in time to avoid being hurt, yet was knocked back by the attack.

“Raichu, EMP!” Blake commanded.

Raichu unleashed a shockwave that hit Mewtwo. The attack didn’t appear to phase Mewtwo at all.

“Mewtwo, finish Raichu!” Giovanni commanded.

However, to Giovanni’s surprise, Mewtwo didn’t obey. Giovanni tried pushing more buttons on his remote controller to get Mewtwo to respond, yet nothing was working.

“What are you waiting for?” Giovanni demanded. “Finish Raichu now! That’s a direct order!”

“No,” Mewtwo answered.

“What?!” Giovanni exclaimed.

Mewtwo stepped away from Raichu and invoked enough psychic energy to destroy the armor that was bound to him. Mewtwo was no longer bound and had regained his free will.

“HOW?!” Giovanni yelled in disbelief.

“You shouldn’t have showed off your remote controller, Giovanni,” Blake pointed out. “Since my Raichu knows EMP, your technology just became obsolete.”

“You no longer control me, Giovanni!” Mewtwo declared. “Blake Webster, I forfeit this battle!”

“NO!” Giovanni screamed in agony.

“YEAH!” Jon, Dawn, May, Drew, Cynthia and Tobias cheered in excitement, also relieved that Blake had won a battle that seemed impossible to win.

“Since Mewtwo refuses to battle, that means I win,” Blake told Giovanni. “Since you lost to me, you can no longer take control of every Pokemon League.”

“Tough luck, Giovanni,” Mr. Goodshow taunted as he tore up the contract.

Giovanni growled in frustration. Everything he worked hard for had been for nothing. Worst of all, his loss happened with everyone else watching the battle on live television.

“Mewtwo, return!” Giovanni commanded as he held out his Master Ball.

Mewtwo evaded the recall beam and immediately fired a psychic projectile at the Master Ball. The Master Ball was destroyed after being hit by the psychic projectile. Giovanni knew he was in trouble with no way to control or contain Mewtwo.

“Team Rocket, destroy Mewtwo!” Giovanni ordered in a tone of desperation as he sent out his remaining Pokemon on hand.

The other members of Team Rocket sent out their Pokemon and ordered them to attack Mewtwo. Mewtwo used his psychic powers to ward off the legion of enemy Pokemon that were attacking him.

“Now’s our chance!” Jon told his friends as he sent out his Rhyperior to break open the cages holding Cynthia and Tobias.

Cynthia and Tobias got out of their cages immediately once Rhyperior broke them open. Their next reaction was to go for the glass case containing their pokeballs. With Giovanni and the rest of Team Rocket distracted by battling Mewtwo, Cynthia and Tobias were able to recover the pokeballs containing their Pokemon without any difficulty.

Mewtwo continued fighting off the Pokemon Team Rocket sent against him. Mew quickly came to Mewtwo’s aid, providing a protective barrier against projectile attacks.

“I can handle Team Rocket alone!” Mewtwo told Mew. “Mew, get the innocent humans to safety!”

Mew did not question Mewtwo’s command. She immediately formed protective barriers around Blake, his friends, Mr. Goodshow and the other Pokemon League executives. Jon returned Rhyperior to its pokeball as everyone had a good idea of what was about to happen. Mew used her psychic energy to tow the protective barriers containing everyone as she flew out of the Rocketdome. Blake, his friends, Mr. Goodshow and the other Pokemon League executives were being taken to safety.

Now that Mewtwo was alone, he had nothing holding him back. He unleashed the full potential of his psychic powers, creating streams of pure energy attacking everything in sight. No enemy Pokemon could continue to fight after being hit. Members of Team Rocket were experiencing pain like they’ve never felt before. Various parts of the scaffolding above everyone started to fall to the ground after being struck. Fire broke out at various parts of the Rocketdome.

Seeing that all his Pokemon and Team Rocket allies were rendered unconscious, Giovanni knew that attempting to continue the battle was a lost cause. He attempted to run toward the entrance tunnel to get away. However, Mewtwo immediately detected the escape attempt. He used his psychic powers to bind Giovanni. Giovanni what then dragged back to the center of the battlefield.

“You could never suffer enough for what you’ve done!” Mewtwo said.

“I created you!” Giovanni reminded Mewtwo as he tried to break out of the psychic grip. “I gave you life! I gave you purpose! And this is how you repay me?”

Mewtwo hit Giovanni with a psychic blast after that last comment. Giovanni screamed in pain and agony as he fell to the ground.

“Be silent, Giovanni!” Mewtwo ordered.

Mewtwo then used his psychic powers to move some of the fallen scaffolding to wrap around Giovanni. Giovanni’s arms and legs were bound. He had no way of getting away from Mewtwo.

“But you use cruelty against me,” Giovanni pointed out. “Finally, you accept the truth of your nature. The truth I’ve been trying to teach you this entire time. The truth you cannot deny.”

“The truth I accept, Giovanni, is that anyone who uses Pokemon in any attempt to enslave the world is not worthy of living,” Mewtwo rebutted. “I will see to it that you never have another opportunity to try any of this again! Your life ends here!”

“If you kill me, you’re no better than me,” Giovanni claimed.

“I care not for my reputation,” Mewtwo rebutted. “You will never terrorize another human or Pokemon ever again! Farewell, Giovanni!”

Mewtwo fired a psychic projectile at the scaffolding directly above Giovanni. The scaffolding fell on Giovanni’s torso, causing intense pain. As Giovanni attempted to fight out of the pile of metal that fell on him, the pain completely overwhelmed him. He eventually collapsed and gave up the ghost. Giovanni was dead.

With his creator and nemesis no longer alive, Mewtwo flew out of the Rocketdome. Once again, Mewtwo was a free Pokemon.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Mew set Blake, Jon, Dawn, May, Drew, Cynthia, Tobias, Raichu, Piplup, Mr. Goodshow and the other Pokemon League executives on the northern outskirts of Mauville City. When their feet touched the ground, the protective barriers around them dissolved.

“Well, it looks like everyone’s safe,” May said.

“Yeah,” Drew agreed. “Thanks, Mew.”

“Mew,” Mew replied.

“I should thank you as well, Mew,” Blake said to the legendary Pokemon. “If not for you, Giovanni would have defeated Raichu and I. Thanks for saving my life as well.”

“Mew,” Mew replied.

“That was a big risk you took, Blake,” Dawn said. “Please promise me you won’t bet your life again in another Pokemon battle.”

“I’ll semi-promise, Dawn,” Blake compromised. “I won’t bet my life again unless it’s absolutely necessary. We don’t know if we’ll face another situation like that again.”

“Still, I thought I was going to lose you,” Dawn said. “I don’t know what I would have done if I lost you.”

“Well, the important thing is we’re all safe now and Giovanni can’t take control of the Pokemon Leagues anymore,” Cynthia pointed out. “Now we need to get Mr. Goodshow and the other executives back home.”

“I can call in a favor to arrange transportation once we reach the nearest Pokemon Center,” Mr. Goodshow said. “They’ll come for us by helicopter to take us back to our homes.”

“Good,” Tobias replied. “It’ll save us a lot of trouble.”

Everyone then saw Mewtwo flying toward them. Mewtwo gradually descended and set his feet on the ground next to Blake and everyone else.

“The battle against Team Rocket is finished,” Mewtwo announced. “They will never pose a threat to any of us again.”

“What about Giovanni?” Jon asked.

“He is dead,” Mewtwo answered. “Without him, Team Rocket is no more.”

“Well, that’s good to know,” Blake replied.

“Blake Webster, you have my thanks for freeing me from Giovanni and helping me regain my freedom,” Mewtwo said. “You’ve once again proven that not all humans are bad, just like another boy proved to me a long time ago.”

“And who was this other boy?” Blake asked.

“Ash Ketchum,” Mewtwo answered. “The two of you have more in common than you think. You both seek to do what is right no matter the cost. If only every human had the same heart as both of you, the world would be a much better place.”

“When I see Ash again, I’ll let him know what you think of him,” Blake promised.

“I must go now,” Mewtwo said. “In order for my powers to never fall into the wrong hands again, I must remain in seclusion from other humans. I cannot risk another human like Giovanni gaining control of me and using my powers for world domination.”

“Then we will let you be on your way,” Tobias replied.

“Farewell, my friends,” Mewtwo said. “Come, Mew. Let us go to a place where humans will not find us.”

“Mew,” Mew replied.

Mewtwo and Mew then flew eastward. Blake and the others waved to Mewtwo and Mew as they departed, knowing that they would most likely never see them again.

“Well, we saved the world, once again,” May said as she and everyone started walking toward Mauville City.

“Yep,” Dawn agreed. “Now let’s head to the Pokemon Center to let our Pokemon rest.”

“And to get Mr. Goodshow and the other executives back home,” Jon added.

“Once all that’s taken care of, how about we go for a round of bowling to celebrate?” Blake suggested.

“I knew you were going to say that,” Dawn replied.

“So, are you up for it?” Blake asked.

“Of course,” Dawn answered.


	17. Epilogue

Epilogue

The fires were still burning at the Rocketdome. What once stood as a glorious battleground was now in ruins from Mewtwo’s display of power and anger against Team Rocket. All members of Team Rocket and their Pokemon were still in an unconscious state. Most of Giovanni’s corpse was still buried underneath a pile of fallen scaffolding.

Another part of the ceiling eventually gave out and fell. It was falling right for Giovanni’s head. Just before the piece of the ceiling was about to hit, it suddenly stopped. The fires that were burning were no longer flickering. Everything had ceased moving as if time had come to a pause.

A portal opened on the battlefield of the Rocketdome. An unknown Pokemon emerged from the portal. The Pokemon had a humanoid form and stood six feet tall. It was clad in silver armor resembling parts of clocks. It had orange skin and was emitting a white ethereal glow from all over its body. It walked toward Giovanni and observed his lifeless body.

“This was not meant to happen to you, Giovanni,” the unknown Pokemon said. “Once again, Blake Webster and Mewtwo have strayed from their purposes in life I had intended for them to fulfill. They have destroyed the perfect balance of light and dark I had intended to create for this world. But know this: History will eventually bend to my will. It is only a matter of…time.”

To Be Continued in Pokemon: Vengeful Timelord Chron


End file.
